“From gaming to golfing and alligators to athletics, Southwest Louisiana is just bursting at the seams with history, culture, Cajun cuisine and good old-fashioned fun,” said Southwest Louisiana/Lake Charles Public Relations Manager Kaylen Fletcher. And with the tagline “Are you game?” the area is sure to offer a diverse array of offerings such as fishing and hunting, trendy nightspots, unique fairs and festivals, museums, shopping, casinos and more. “With all these amenities right in our own backyard, the CVB encourages local residents to ‘bring their business home to Southwest Louisiana,’” Fletcher added.

Located right off Interstate I-10 and just 140 miles east of Houston makes the area more accessible. “As an affordable destination with full-service CVB offering complimentary services from start to finish, we’ve had a successful year.” In fact, the CVB reported 85,264 booked room nights with an economic impact of $38.9 million in 2011 and the overall impact of tourism in Calcasieu Parish was $339.09 million. This is despite the state of Louisiana showing a flat year for casino gambling earnings, of which the Southwest Louisiana area has three casinos, two riverboats and a race track.